Knitted article and method of



Nov. 26, 1935. ADLER KNITTED ARTICLE. AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed June 9, 1935 IN VENT OR J li/li fiaL/er, BY

ATT EY Patented Nov. 26, 1935' .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF raonocme SAME Application June 9, 1933, Serial No. 75,113 8 Claims. (01.66-185) In the manufacture of various knitted garments it is sometimes found necessary to resort to practices which produce a definite line of openings in the knitted fabric which detract from the appearance of the finished garments and are as'ource of weakness. As is well known, the practice of widening is employed when it is desired to increase the width of a garment in designated areas.- Such operation takes place during the course of knitting and involves the transfer of groups of loopsin recurrent courses outwardly and results in an opening or space in each transfer course where no knitted loop is present. .Such openings, or fashioning marks, collectively define an open line in the fabric constituting the boundary between the widened and unwidened portions thereof and produce a ladder-like effect which is objectionable and has the general appearance of a run such'as may occur along a Wale upon a break in the thread.

The primary purpose of the present invention is to obliterate lines of openings such as produced by ,the practice of widening as just described with aview of overcoming the objections referred to. I carry out my general purpose in such manner that when the garment is completed it is practically impossible to distinguish the areas of the openings from the adjoining knitted portions of the fabric..

While the invention may be employed in other the heel portion and adjoining part of the foot portion are formed integrally with continuous knitted courses. In such articles the heel pocket is formed during the course of knitting by widening the fabric for the full width thereof which is to be allotted to the heel, and a ladder-like line of openings, or fashioning marks, is presented on each side of the stocking which define the boundary between the heel and the foot por- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view greatly enlarged showing one manner in which my invention may bepracticed; and,

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing a further manner of practicing my invention. In the stocking illustrated the heel portion is the foot as H, such parts being formed with continuous courses, but the heel being widened during the course of knitting with the resulting line of openings along the line "ac having the a general appearance and character indicated between the points a and b. The cross lines be- 0 tween these two points represent the unconnected, or unknit, portions of the successive courses which traverse the heel portion andthe adjoining part of the foot portion. Such openings are characteristic of the practice of widening, it being noted further that the wales in the heel portion run vertically and parallel to the openings along the line a--c while the wales in the foot portion .run at an angle to such line. No attempt is made in the drawing to illustrate the wales of such parts in detail, but their general direction is indicated by the light parallel lines in various parts of the two areas. While the drawing merely indicates a fragmentay part of a full fashioned stocking, it will be understood 25 that the same is made in accordance with the usual full fashioned practice under which the welt, leg, heel and foot portions are knit in a continuous operation.

In closing up a line of openings such as illustrated in the stocking of Fig. 1 I form, a chain of interconnecting loops along the boundary between the two portions which I find completely obliterates any sign of fashioning marks in such area. Such chain of loops when completed has the general appearance of an additional knitted wale interposing between the foot and heel portions and blending in with the adjoining wales of the heel portion in such manner as not to be distinguishabletherefrom. In Fig. 1 I have indicated the line of fashioning marks as closed between the points b and c, the portion of the line between a and I) being unclosed merely to enable a clearer understanding of the nature of the invention. The complete application of my inven- 45 'tion to the stocking is preferred to close the is to say, the ladder-like unconnected portions of the courses of the heel and foot which define the line of openings may be kettled up so as to produce aknitted wale. For such purpose any of a variety of needles, such as the latch needle I 2, may be employed. The needle is inserted at the end of the line of openings and a loop is formed in one course and drawn by the needle through the preceding course. In the figure interconnecting loops have been formed up through the course l3 and the needle is engaging the course I 4 preparatory. to forming a. loop therein and drawing the same through the loop IS in the course l3. This operation may be carried out very quickly by a skilled operator so as not to materially add to the time and labor required in the manufacture of the stocking. As above indicated the interlooping of the successive courses will be carried out until the line of openings is completely closed.

A further manner of practicing my invention is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein, instead of forming interconnecting loops in the ladder crossings of the stocking courses at the openings, an independent thread is employed. By the use of a needle l2 the thread I6 is formed into a series of chain stitches which interlock the various courses of the stocking along the line of openings. As shown, the chain of stitches has been completed up through the course B, the same locking such course with the preceding course without directly forming loops in the courses themselves as heretofore described in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 2. The needle I! extends through the loop ll' formed in the thread l6 and has been insertedbehind the course I! to form and draw a further loop in the thread l6 through the loop H. The formation of the loops may be continued may say, however, that I now deem it preferable i to apply the same to the outside of the fabric and run it in the direction of knitting of the fabric V so as to most closely simulate the appearance of the wales of the adjoining portions of the stock- In the specific application of the invention 3 shown in Fig. 3 the chain of loops formed from the thread I6 are shown as interconnecting successive courses l3 and M. It may be found desirable, however, to preserve a certain amount of elasticity, to interconnect spaced courses instead chain of loops for closing the line of openings.

I.have found that for general purposes such a single line of stitching is satisfactory. This'is due to the fact that in kettling up the openings as illustrated in Fig. 1 the formation of the loops in either the manner of Fig. 2 or Fig. 3 causes a decrease in the width of the opening. It will thus be noted that the width of the line of openings between the points b and c which have been closed up is narrower than the unclosed portion between the points a and b. It will be obvious, however, that where circumstances require additional lines of stitching may be incorporated for the purpose of complete closure of the openings.

When the line of opening has been closed up the last loop form will be anchored so as to prevent the chain from'pulling out. This may be done in the embodiment of Fig. 3 by drawing the end of the thread I 6 through the last formed loop and knctting the same. I A separate tacking thread may be used for the same purpose in connection with the embodiment of Fig. 2.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that by my invention I have overcome a serious objection to mechanical practices which result in the formation of openings in knitted fabric and have provided a way of eliminating the weaknessesand defective appearance resulting from widening. The invention as practiced is such as to completely obliterate and remove the preformed and thereby filling in and closing said line of "o openings.

2. A method of improving stockings of the type in which the heel pocket and foot portion are integrally formed with continuous courses of loops and which have a border line of openings between the two portions, which consists in filling in the opening border line by running a. continuous chain of interlocking loops constituting a new wale conforming in structure, appearance and direction to the wales of the heel pocket along the unconnected parts of the courses which define said 40 border line.

3. The method of improving stockings of the type in which the heel pocket and foot portion are integrally formed with continuous courses of loops and which have a, line of openings comprising unknitted loops dividing the two portions at their boundary, which consists in filling in the boundary by forming a continuous chain of loopsof an independent thread into a wale conforming to the wales of the heel pocket and interlocking the suc- I cessive loops of said wale with the unconnected parts of the courses which traverse and define said boundary. 7

4. A stocking having foot and heel portions knit as a unit with continuous courses of loops,

the heel portion being widened and the wales therein being angularly related to the wales of the foot portion, and an additional interposed and continuous wale of interlocking loops extending 60 parallel to the wales of the heel portion filling, and thus closing, the boundary line between the foot and heel portions and avoiding the presence of fashioning marks.

5. A- knitted stocking having a foot portion, and a heel pocket integral therewith formed by widening as a continuation of the knitted courses of the foot portion, the stocking at each side presenting a boundary between the foot portion and widened heel pocket, said boundaries being defined by interposed wales comprising continuous chains of interlocking loops and constituting lateral extensions of the fabric of the heel pocket, and thus obviating openings .such as normally occur in widened fabrics.

of loops, the heel fabric being widened so that the courses in the foot portion meet their continuations in the heel pocket at an angle and presenting a boundary line extending parallel to the wales of the heel pocket on each side of the stocking between the forwardmost wale of the heel pocket and the adjoining portion of the foot, said boundary lines being defined by interposed chains of interlocking thread loops simulating in structure, appearance and direction the wales of the heel pocket and interlocking the fabric courses along the boundaries. l

7. A stocking having a heel pocket and a foot portion knit as a unit with continuous courses of loops, the heel fabric being widened so that the courses in the foot portion meet their continuations in the heel pocket at an angle and presenting. a boundary line extending parallel to the wales of the heel pocket on each side of the stocking between the forwardmost waleof the heel pocket and the adjoining portion of the foot, and wales of independent thread extending along said boundary lines, said wales comprising chains of interconnecting loops conforming to the wales of the heel fabric and which interlock with the 5 unconnected parts of the fabric courses traversing and defining said boundaries.

8. The method of manufacturing full fashionedknitted hosiery of the single unit type, which comprises knitting'the welt, leg, heel and 10 foot portions thereof in a continuous knitting. operation, and during the knitting of the heel portion shaping the same by causing the fabric thereof to be widened at predetermined points therein to produce an open line formation hav- 1! ing a series of cross threads therein which separate the said shaped heelfabric from the foot portion, then causing said cross threads to be interlooped, with each other, to close the openv line formation, and then securing said interll looped threads from unraveling.

PHILIP ADLER. 

